rowan2•29d ago

Why does nobody talk about how bad cheap tongs are for forge welding?

I keep seeing posts from beginners using those cheap stamped steel tongs you get on Amazon for like $15 and trying to do forge welds. Tried that myself back when I started about two years ago in my garage here in Denver. The tongs just don't hold the billet steady enough, they flex and twist when you try to set the weld. Lost a couple good billets that way, just flew right off the anvil. You really need some decent forged tongs that lock onto the steel tight, otherwise you're just wasting your time and fuel. Anyone else have trouble with flimsy tongs ruining a weld?

2 comments

2 Comments

jennyp1929d ago

Dude it's just tongs, you learn to adjust your technique pretty quick.

alice_kim29d ago

Cheap tongs are just the tip of the iceberg though... it's the same pattern with everything in this craft. People buy the cheapest anvil on Amazon and wonder why their hammer blows bounce back wrong, or grab a $30 angle grinder that shakes apart after three projects. The whole "buy cheap, buy twice" thing applies to so much more than just tools. It's like the universe is teaching us that shortcuts always show up later as a bigger headache.